Power Planner

How power works in Solarpunk

Everything on one cable network shares a single pool of electricity. A network has to generate at least as much as its machines draw; when demand outruns supply, batteries cover the gap, and once they're empty the machines stop. Each consumer below pulls a fixed wattage whenever it's running, so the planner's total demand is the floor your generation has to clear.

The catch is that generation isn't fixed. Solar panels produce nothing at night and less in cloud; windmills and the Skyturbine scale with wind intensity, which shifts with the weather. That's why the smart way to plan — as one player put it — is to size your network around the minimum: enough steady generation (or a fuel generator) plus battery capacity to ride out the quiet hours. The backup-time figure shows how long your stored energy covers full draw if generation drops to zero.

Every figure here — demand, battery capacity and generator output — is read straight from the game files. Generator output is shown as a range because it swings with the weather and the day/night cycle; the low end is your safe planning number. For the qualitative side of wiring, switches and sensors, see the power & automation guide.